Who is PrivateVPN?
Here is an overview of PrivateVPN and its services:
| Owned and Operated by | Privat Kommunikation Sverige AB |
| Year Launched | 2008 |
| Base of Operations | Sweden |
| Operates in a Privacy-friendly Country? | No |
| Logging Policy | Zero logs |
| Encryption Used | AES 256-bit |
| Servers Located in | 56+ countries |
Plans and Pricing
At the average pricing of a premium VPN service, PrivateVPN provides the same features across all plans. Users can purchase a subscription through the following payment methods: Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club International), PayPal, and anonymous transaction via bitcoin.
PrivateVPN’s referral program also allows users to earn points by referring the service to their friends. When a recruited friend successfully purchases a subscription, you automatically receive points based on the package they chose. These points can then be redeemed for additional days of service, at completely no cost.
On top of all that, they also offer a free 7 day trial. But you’ll have to send support a message to receive a code to activate this. It’s slightly inconvenient, but still a great way of testing out the service before spending your money.
PrivateVPN plans come in the following packages:
| One Month | $7.67/mo |
| Three Months | $5.25/mo ($15.75 billed) |
| One Year + One FREE Month | $4.20/mo ($50.40 billed) |
3rd Place9.2 out of 10Servers and Locations
With just over 100 servers, PrivateVPN’s network is on the small side when compared to its competitors. However, server locations are spread over 56 different countries, so that kind of makes up for it. With that kind of coverage, finding a server that’s near your location shouldn’t be a problem.
Usability and Performance
PrivateVPN offers lightning-fast connection speeds. Users report minimal loss in connection speeds, allowing them to stream HD videos comfortably. Establishing a link to their VPN tunnels is also quick. And dropped connections are a rare occurrence. The company even boasts an impressive 99.98% uptime.
All the PrivateVPN applications are easy to use and look great. Beginners will have no difficulty in setting up PrivateVPN on any of their devices thanks to the intuitive design. For more advanced users, all the necessary features are tucked away but are readily available should they want a greater degree of control with their encryption protocols (more on this below).
Most users will also be very happy to know that P2P is allowed on PrivateVPN networks. With unlimited data allowance and bandwidth, users are free to torrent to their heart’s content. Best of all, PrivateVPN’s service is able to unblock geo-restricted content like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and Amazon Prime Video. If you’re looking for a VPN service that will let you access normally inaccessible content, PrivateVPN provides the necessary tools to do so.
Security and Privacy
Secured with military-grade encryption, PrivateVPN assures users of high amounts of protection. Users can choose between different protocols for their needs – OpenVPN, L2TP, PPTP, IPSec, IKEv2, and SOCKS5. That’s more than what most other VPN services provide.
Users’ privacy is also protected by a strict zero logs policy. That means that your data traffic is never recorded, so your internet activities will remain private. It also means that authorities won’t be able to get their hands on such information, as it simply isn’t there.
Supported Devices
With support for up to 6 simultaneously connected devices, PrivateVPN is ahead of most other VPN services. You can even bypass this limitation by installing the software directly into your router. Supported brands include Linksys, Synology, Tomato, Asus, DD-WRT, pfSense, and QNAP.
PrivateVPN is readily compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. There’s a way to connect to their VPN networks on Linux, but that involves installing a third-party application on your machine. Luckily, a helpful installation guide is available on their website.
Other Features
PrivateVPN also provides the following useful features:
- Remote Control: Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, this unique feature allows users to have PrivateVPN specialists remotely install and configure the VPN on their machines. This is great for beginners who want to use a VPN, but don’t necessarily have the knowhow to do it themselves.
- Connection Guard: This feature provides additional security to PrivateVPN users. In here, users can configure the automatic kill switch, IPv6 leak protection, and DNS leak protection. These settings ensure that your data streams remain safe.
- Port Forwarding: The PrivateVPN service offers at least one open port for users to achieve optimal speeds when torrenting.
Customer Support
If you aren’t comfortable with granting a PrivateVPN technician access to your machine via remote control, you’ll be happy to know that their website does offer live chat support. This isn’t available 24/7, but representatives are knowledgeable and accommodating when you do catch them. Getting started guides can also be found on the company website, along with a handy FAQ section for general concerns.
What's the Verdict on PrivateVPN?
PrivateVPN Review 2020 – Conclusion
If you’re in the market for an all-around VPN complete with strong security features, good performance, and accessible pricing, then you’ll be happy to know that you get all of these with PrivateVPN. And with the ability to torrent freely and unblock services like Netflix, the deal gets even sweeter. As long as you can look past the limited server selection and inconsistent customer support, PrivateVPN is a solid choice that’s definitely worth considering.
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